UNIVERSITY    OF   CALIFORNIA        AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BENJ.    IDE    WHEELER,    PRESIDENT 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE  thomas  forsyth  hunt,  dean  and  director 

__._.{  _..    —  v  H.  E.   VAN    NORMAN,    Vice-Director    and    Dean 

BtKI\fcLtY  University  Farm  School 

CIRCULAR  No.  133 

(July,  1915) 


THE  COUNTY  FARM  ADVISER 

By  B.  H.  CROCHERON 

State  Leader 


THE  FARM  ADVISER  MOVEMENT 

For  something  over  half  a  century  the  agricultural  colleges,  the 
experiment  stations,  and  the  national  department  of  agriculture  have 
been  investigating  questions  of  vital  importance  to  the  farmers  of 
America  and  have  accumulated  a  vast  mass  of  information  which, 
if  it  could  be  engrafted  on  the  practices  in  the  open  country,  would 
undoubtedly  result  in  a  great  increase  of  our  material  prosperity  not 
only  through  a  larger  production  per  acre  but  by  an  increased  net 
return  to  the  individual  farmer. 

Much  of  this  agricultural  information,  however,  has  been  in  such 
form  that  it  was  difficult  for  farmers  to  obtain  it  or,  indeed,  to  know 
of  it  and  its  practical  application  to  their  individual  farms.  The 
material  was  embodied  in  agricultural  reports  and  bulletins  which 
treated  the  facts  in  a  broad  sense,  but  there  were  few  agencies  at  work 
and  few  men  available  to  make  the  specific  applications  to  the  problems 
at  hand. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  agricultural  institutions  of  the  country 
were  like  a  great  factory  grinding  out  a  product  of  infinite  value 
which  has  been  stored  in  warehouses  far  from  the  consumer  that  the 
product  was  designed  to  reach.  Lacking  a  force  of  retail  agents,  this 
product  continued  to  accumulate  without  greatly  affecting  the  con- 
sumer and  his  wants.  Like  the  factory,  the  agricultural  institution 
must  have  its  agents  close  to  the  point  of  consumption  so  that  the 
product  may  be  readily  placed  in  the  hands  of  those  who  need  it. 
These  agricultural  agents  are  now  being  established  throughout  the 
nation  under  the  name  of  "County  Farm  Advisers,"  "County 
Agents, "  or  "  Farm  Demonstrators. ' '  They  act  as  the  necessary  force 
to  bring  the  information  of  the  agricultural  colleges,  experiment  sta- 
tions and  the  national  department  of  agriculture  to  the  specific  farmer 
who  needs  it. 


Some  thirteen  hundred  counties  in  the  United  States  now  have 
farm  advisers  at  work.  Two  years  ago  the  vfirst  one  of  these  in  Cali- 
fornia was  placed  in  Humboldt  County.  There  are  now  twelve  farm 
advisers  at  work  in  California ;  others  will  be  appointed. 

A  FARM  ADVISER— WHAT  HE  IS 

A  farm  adviser  is  a  man  trained  in  agriculture,  usually  a  graduate 
of  an  agricultural  college,  who  has  had  some  practical  experience  in 
the  broad  phases  of  agriculture  and  who  is  conversant  with  the  par- 
ticular problems  that  concern  the  locality. 

Because  his  work  depends  so  much  for  its  results  on  the  enthusiasm 
that  he  can  infuse  into  others,  he  must  be  a  man  of  tact,  of  energy, 
and  of  real  desire  to  achieve  results  in  his  chosen  field. 

The  farm  adviser  is  an  agent  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  of  the 
University  of  California,  in  which  he  has  academic  status,  and  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  He  is  placed  in  a  county 
where  his  services  are  desired.  His  entire  time  and  activity  are  spent 
there  within  the  boundaries  of  that  county.  There  he  is  the  field  agent 
of  the  agricultural  forces  of  the  nation. 

A  FARM  ADVISER— WHAT  HE  DOES 
The  problem  of  the  farm  adviser  is  to  reach  those  who  desire  his 
services.  He  gives  advice  on  soil  treatment,  fertilization,  crop  adapt- 
ation and  culture,  animal  husbandry  and  its  allied  phases.  As  he  is 
occupied  in  the  increase  of  net  returns  to  the  farmer,  he  is  also  desirous 
of  improving  those  civilizing  forces  of  the  open  country  that  come 
under  the  head  of  better  roads,  schools,  churches,  farmers'  organiza- 
tions, and  marketing  facilities.  He  studies  those  various  activities  of 
the  farm  that  are  known  under  the  head  of  farm  management,  and 
demonstrates  his  better  methods  on  the  farms  of  those  interested 
persons  who  desire  to  co-operate  with  him. 

The  farm  adviser  has  an  office  or  headquarters  at  some  central  point 
in  the  county,  usually  at  the  county  seat.  He  may  also,  through  the 
organization  of  the  farm  bureau,  find  it  desirable  to  have  other  local 
or  district  headquarters  at  farm  bureau  centers  through  the  county. 

But  necessary  as  are  his  offices  and  headquarters,  little  of  his  time 
is  spent  there.  His  work  is  on  the  farms  and  among  the  people.  Day 
by  day  the  farm  adviser  goes  where  he  is  called,  advising  on  the  various 
questions  that  come  to  him.  When,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  he  meets 
a  problem  that  to  him  is  impossible  of  solution  because  of  the  technical 
phases  involved,  he  submits  it  for  consideration  to  the  agricultural 
college  or  to  the  federal  department  of  agriculture,  the  forces  of  both 
of  which  he  has  at  his  command. 


No  farm  adviser  ever  sets  his  foot  on  the  land  of  a  man  who  does 
not  want  him.  He  visits  only  those  farms  to  which  he  has  been  re- 
quested to  come. 

Specifically,  the  work  of  the  farm  adviser  may  be  divided  into  four 
general  branches,  as  follows: 

(1)  Advisory  work  with  inquirers;  that  is,  the  answering  of  ques- 
tions and  giving  of  advice  to  those  who  apply. 


No  county  is  ever  approached 
on  the  subject  of  a  farm  ad- 
viser. The  county  must  desire 
and  seek  such  an  assistant. 
Twelve  farm  advisers  are  now 
at  work  in  as  many  counties  in 
California, 

(Counties  having  farm  advisers 
shown  in  black.) 


(2)  Organization  work  of  the  civilizing  forces  of  the  community — 
assistance  to  boys'  agricultural  clubs,  farmers'  organizations,  schools, 
churches,  and  marketing  and  buying  organizations. 

(3)  Investigation  into  the  larger  problems  of  farm  management 
as  applied  to  that  specific  community. 

(4)  Demonstration' or  application  of  these  principles  and  practices 
through  the  co-operation  of  interested  farmers. 

The  work  of  the  farm  advisor  is  supervised  by  a  state  leader,  to 
whom  he  makes  weekly  reports.  The  state  leader  is  appointed  jointly 
by  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture. 


HOW  MUCH  A  FARM  ADVISER  COSTS 

The  farm  adviser 's  salary  is  paid  by  the  College  of  Agriculture  of 
the  University  of  California  and  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  co-operating.  His  expenses  are  paid  by  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  the  county.  As  he  is  constantly  traveling  from  place 
to  place  within  the  county,  his  expenses  are  heavy,  comparatively 
speaking.  Two  thousand  dollars  a  year  is  estimated  to  be  necessary 
for  the  expenses  of  the  farm  adviser.  These  mean  the  maintenance 
of  an  office  and  office  facilities,  the  use  of  an  automobile  for  travel 
within  the  county,  and  the  subsistence  of  the  farm  adviser  while 
away  from  home. 

As  the  value  of  a  farm  adviser  increases  greatly  as  he  becomes  more 
and  more  familiar  and  expert  with  the  problems  of  the  county,  it  is 
highly  desirable  that  the  work  be  made  permanent  and  that  no  county 
should  start  such  an  adviser  at  work  without  intention  to  try  the  plan 
for  at  least  three  years. 

Two  thousand  dollars,  then,  should  be  appropriated  by  the  county, 
with  the  intention  of  at  least  four  thousand  dollars  to  follow  at  the 
rate  of  two  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

Specific  legislation  was  passed  by  the  California  Legislature  of 
1915  enabling  Boards  of  Supervisors  to  make  such  appropriation,  as 
follows : 

An  Act  (Laws  of  1915,  Chapter  No.  373,  signed  May  18,  1915)  empowering 
County  Boards  of  Supervisors  to  appropriate  and  use  county  funds  for  the  sup- 
port and  maintenance  of  Extension  Work  in  Agriculture  in  co-operation  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  and  the  University  of  California.  The 
people  of  the  State  of  California  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1. — The  Boards  of  Supervisors  of  the  respective  counties  within  the 
state  are  hereby  empowered  to  appropriate  and  use  county  funds  in  not  to 
exceed  the  amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars  for  any  one  year  for  the  support  and 
maintenance  within  their  respective  counties  of  extension  work  in  agriculture 
under  approval  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  and  in  co- 
operation with  the  University  of  California. 

No  funds  for  this  work  are  ever  accepted  from  other  than  the 
governmental  agencies  of  the  county,  the  state,  and  the  nation. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  FARM  ADVISER'S  WORK— THE  FARM  BUREAU 
In  order  to  facilitate  the  work  of  the  farm  adviser  and  to  conserve 
his  time  as  much  as  possible,  it  is  necessary  that  some  permanent 
organization  be  in  advisement  with  him  regarding  problems  of  the 
county.  Such  an  organization  is  a  farm  bureau  as  formed  in  many 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  in  twelve  counties  of  California.  At 
least  one-fifth  of  the  farmers  of  the  county,  as  shown  by  the  last  census, 
should  join  the  farm  bureau  and  each  pay  $1  a  year  dues. 


THE  WORK  OF  THE  FARM  ADVISER  MAY  BE  DIVIDED  INTO 
FOUR  GENERAL  BRANCHES 


(1)  Advisory  work  with  inquirers. 
{Advising  a  new  homesteader  on  the  edge  of  the  Mojave  Desert,  Kern  County.) 


(2)   Organization  of  the  civilizing  forces  of  the  community. 

(Boys'  Agricultural  Club  on  a  tour  with  the  Yolo  County  Farm  Adviser.) 


(3)  Investigation  into  the  larger  problems  of  farm  management. 

(The  farm  adviser  in  the  bean  fields  of  Ventura  County.) 


(4)  Demonstration  of  these  principles  and  practices  through  the 
co-operation  of  interested  farmers. 

(Demonstration  of  use  of  lime  on  alfalfa,  Napa  County.) 


6 


The  county  farm  bureau  is  organized  around  certain  local  district 
headquarters  known  as  "farm  bureau  centers" — not  more  than  thir- 
teen being  in  any  one  county — where  the  farm  adviser  is  due  on  regular 
schedule  each  month.  Each  farm  bureau  center  has  a  directer  elected 
from  among  its  members,  to  serve  on  the  board  of  the  farm  bureau  and 
to  make  engagements  for  the  services  of  the  farm  adviser.  Usually 
each  farm  bureau  center  holds  a  meeting  at  the  time  of  the  regular 
monthly  visit  of  the  farm  adviser  in  order  that  all  may  have  the 
benefit  of  his  discussions  of  local  problems.  Often  the  farm  bureau 
engages  in  many  other  plans  and  projects,  as  discussed  in  Circular 
No.  118,  "The  County  Farm  Bureau." 


Each  Farm  Bureau  center  holds  a  meeting  at  the  time  of  the  monthly 
visit  of  the  farm  adviser. 

{Farm  Bureau  Center  meeting,  Humboldt  County.) 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  FARM  ADVISER'S  WORK— DEMONSTRATIONS 

AND  PROJECTS 

In  order  to  demonstrate  certain  advisable  agricultural  practices 
which  he  has  been  advocating,  the  farm  adviser  from  time  to  time 
locates  demonstrations  of  these  on  the  farms  of  interested  members  of 
the  farm  bureau.  These  he  visits  regularly  in  order  to  direct  the  work 
and  observe  results.  Farm  bureau  center  meetings  are  frequently  held 
at  such  demonstration  plots  in  order  that  all  the  members  may  know 
of  the  results  achieved. 

County-wide  campaigns  for  county  betterment  along  definite  agri- 
cultural lines  are  often  projected  by  the  farm  adviser  and  organized 
through  committees  from  the  board  of  directors  and  from  the  farm 


bureau  centers.  "Cow-testing  associations,"  "boys'  clubs,"  "hog 
cholera  control,"  "squirrel  extermination,"  "drainage  control," 
"electric  power  extension,"  "pure-seed  campaigns,"  and  many  other 
projects  have  already  been  undertaken  by  farm  advisers  working 
through  the  farm  bureaus. 


HOW  TO  GET  A  FARM  ADVISER 

No  county  is  ever  approached  on  the  subject  of  a  farm  adviser, 
since  it  is  believed  that  for  the  efficiency  of  the  work  there  must  first 
be  a  strong  demand  for  it  from  the  people  of  the  county.     No  farm 


&MM   BUREA( 
SQUIRREL  CAMPAIGN 

lam  Bureau  Squirrel  Poison^  Cost 


County-wide  campaigns  for  county  betterment  along  definite  agricultural 
lines  are  often  projected  by  the  farm  adviser. 

(Squirrel  extermination  campaign,  Ventura  County.) 

adviser  is  ever  projected  on  a  community.  The  community  must  desire 
and  seek  for  such  an  assistant. 

Where  the  people  of  a  county  desire  to  secure  a  farm  adviser,  the 
first  step  to  be  taken  is  to  organize  a  county  farm  bureau  with  at  least 
one-fifth  of  the  farmers  of  the  county  in  its  membership.  Methods 
of  forming  such  an  organization  are  discussed  in  Circular  No.  118, 
' '  The  County  Farm  Bureau. ' ' 

After  organization,  the  farm  bureau,  perhaps  accompanied  by 
other  interested  organizations,  should  approach  the  board  of  super- 
visors and  ask  them  to  appropriate  two  thousand  dollars  a  year  for 
the  expenses  of  the  farm  adviser  and  to  embark  on  the  project  for  at 
least  three  years. 


Application  for  farm  advisers  should  be  made  to  the  State  Leader, 
College  of  Agriculture,  Berkeley,  California.  Since  funds  may  not 
be  immediately  available  to  install  farm  advisers  and  pay  their  salaries, 
applications  of  counties  are  filed  in  the  order  in  which  their  boards 
of  supervisors  pass  the  necessary  appropriation. 


SUMMAEY 

1.  No  county  is  ever  approached  on  the  subject  of  a  farm  adviser. 
The  initiative  and  organization  must  arise  there. 

2.  No  farm  adviser  is  installed  until  (a)  a  farm  bureau  of  definite 
type  (see  Cal.  Exp.  Cir.  No.  118)  is  organized  with  at  least  one-fifth 
of  the  farmers  in  the  county  in  its  membership,  who  pay  $1  a  year 
dues,  and  until  (6)  the  Board  of  Supervisors  appropriate  $2000  per 
year  for  the  expenses  (automobile,  office,  field  subsistence,  etc.)  of  the 
farm  adviser  and  embark  on  the  project  for  at  least  three  years.  No 
funds  for  this  work  are  ever  accepted  from  any  other  source  than  from 
the  county,  state,  and  national  governments. 

3.  When  these  things  are  done,  the  University  of  California  and 
the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  jointly  appoint  the  farm  adviser, 
pay  his  entire  salary  and  supervise  his  work.  The  funds  available  are 
(1)  the  entire  Smith-Lever  appropriation  for  California,  (2)  State 
appropriation,  (3)  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  appropriation. 

The  California  farm  adviser's  work  is  organized  through  the  county 
farm  bureau.  He  travels  about  the  county  on  schedule,  calling  at 
each  farm  bureau  center  in  turn,  where  he  visits  only  those  farms  to 
which  he  has  been  requested  to  come,  calls  being  scheduled  for  him 
in  advance  by  the  local  farm  bureau  director.  On  Mondays,  Wednes- 
days, and  Fridays  he  holds  a  meeting  with  the  center  at  which  he  is 
visiting,  meetings  at  any  center  being  always  held  on  the  same  day 
each  month.  On  Saturdays  all  farm  advisers  are  in  their  offices  at 
the  county  seat.  On  one  Saturday  each  month  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  county  farm  bureau  hold  their  meeting  at  the  office  of  the  farm 
adviser. 

All  farm  advisers  are  part  of  the  staff  of  the  College  of  Agriculture 
and  have  academic  status.  All  are  agricultural  college  trained  men 
who  have  been  some  years  out  of  college.  All  are  local  representatives 
of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 
Their  business  as  itinerant  teachers  is  to  advise  persons  on  the  land 
who  so  request. 


